A Glimpse of Eternity, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of Caution to prevent miſtakes about the Adverſity of the Godly, and the Proſperity of the Wicked in this ſtate.
2. THis point may ſerve by way of Caution, to keep us from ſtumbling at Gods providential Diſpenſations, both in regard of the ſufferings of Saints, and the temporary proſperity of wicked men; What Salomon ſaw in his time, ſervants on horſe-back, and Princes walking as ſervants upon the earth: Or, what the Traveller ſaid he obſerved at Rome, Aſſes flying, and Eagles creeping: the like is to be frequently ſeen in the world: the Bramble is ſometimes exalted, when the Vine and Olive are paſſed by; Goats clamber up the Mountains of Preferment, when the poor ſheep of Chriſt feed below; the mud-wall is ſhined upon, while Marble-pillars ſtand in the ſhade; Vile perſons, like him in the Goſpel, are clad in Purple, when thoſe of whom the world is not worthy, go up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins: unprofitable Drones, who are a burden to the earth, are often crowned with length of days, when many ingenious Spirits, who have the eyes of the world faſtned upon them, are taken away in the flower of their age, and are cropt off like an ear of Corn. In a word, the proud are called Happy, they that work wickedneſs are ſet up; many live in defiance againſt God, and ſet their mouth againſt Heaven, thrive and proſper: and as it is, God layeth not folly to them (a)Job 24.12., doth not at preſent call them to an account for their Wickedneſs; when many religious ſouls, who tremble at the leaſt ſin, and make conſcience of every Duty, are yet plagued all the day-long, and chaſtened every morning; and yet, which is a greater evil, many times the wicked devoureth … man that is more righteous than he; Pharaohs lean kin… devour the fat kine; Fire cometh out of the Bramble, and devoureth the Cedars of Lebanon; and thi… hath been a great ſtumbling block to more intelligen… men; in ſo much as ſome have denyed Providence as Averroes, who hereupon affirmed, that God medled not with things here below; others have denyed there is any God, as Diagoras; The occaſion was this, he had made a book of Verſes, but before they were ſet out, one ſtole them away, he ſuſpecting the perſon, brought him before the Magiſtrate; the man denyed it upon oath, and ſo was quit, and afterward ſet them out in his own name; Diagoras, becauſe he was not for his theft and perjury ſtruck with a preſent Thunder-bolt, forthwith turned Atheiſt concluding that there was no, God: nay, we find this to have ſtumbled the beſt of the Saints: Job ſtartles at it; Jeremy and Habakkuk expoſtulated with God about it; David was ready to conclude that he had cleanſed his heart in vain, that there was no profit in the ſervice of God. Whereas if we go into Gods Sanctuary, we may underſtand the end o… both theſe ſorts of men: wicked men, though they flouriſh for a time, yet their end is ſad, when the wicked ſpring as Graſs, and all the workers of iniquity do flouriſh (b)Pſal. 92.7.; it is, that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever: the righteous, though they ſuffer at preſent, yet their end is happy: Mark the juſt, behold the upright man, the end of that man is peace (c)Pſal. 37.37.. Some expreſs this by the familiar compariſon of the Hawk and the Hen: the Hawk is often tranſported from forreign Countries, bought at a great price, carried upon the Fiſt, fed with choice dyet, and hath all things prepared for her accommodation; but being once dead, ſhe is thrown out of doors, caſt upon the dunghill, and no more care taken of her: the Hen on the other ſide, while ſhe is living, is little accounted of; ſhe is forced even to lodge abroad in the open air, expoſed to the wind, and ſtormes of the Winters night; conſtrained to range abroad for her ſuſtenance, pecking here and there a little to ſatisfie her hunger; if ſhe comes into the houſe, expecting ſome crumbs falling from the Table, ſhe is driven out with clamour, and little care taken of her; but when ſhe is dead, is cook't and dreſt in the beſt manner; ſerved up in a Lordly Diſh, and the greateſt Perſons make of her fleſh part of their Royal entertainments: Theſe two creatures not unaptly reſemble the two ſorts of men, the righteous, and the wicked: the Hawk reſembles wicked men, who commonly proſper in the world, and flouriſh like the Baytree; and therefore pride compaſſeth them about: how lofty are their eyes, and their eye-lids lifted up? they carry themſelves as if they had got a monopoly of happineſs, as if the Sun ſhined only in their Cell, as the Bernardine Monks boaſted: but when death hath put a period to their lives, there is an end of all their happineſs; and eternal miſery, like Pharaohs ſeven years of famine, devoureth the former years of plenty, rendring their miſery the more grievous, by the remembrance of the happineſs they once enjoyed. On the other ſide, good men, who are fitly reſembled by the Hen, uſually meet but with courſe entertainment in the world, are looked upon as the filth of the world, and off-ſcouring of all things: their ſouls are exceedingly filled with the ſcorning of thoſe that be at eaſe: and with the contempt of the proud; but having once finiſhed their courſe, they are bound up amongſt Gods Jewels; their bodies go down with hope to the Chambers of Death, their ſouls are bound up in the bundle of Life, and put into a preſent poſſeſſion of eternal happineſs; ſo that though in this life, wicked men be the darlings of the world, when thoſe of whom the world is not worthy, are deſ… tute, afflicted, tormented; yet if we believe there is another life after this, in which the righteous ſhall b… eternally happy, and wicked men everlaſtingly miſerable this will abundantly clear the equity of Gods proceedings in thoſe tomporal diſpenſations; it is the end that crowneth all; all is well that ends well; Solomon ſaith, The end of a thing is better than the beginning of it; (d)Eccleſ. 7.8.and wiſe men eſteem of things acco… ding to the laſt end.
A man that hath a ſuit at Law upon which his eſtate dependeth, though in his journey up to th… Term, he be ill-horſed, meets with bad way, and for weather, and homely lodging, yet if he ſucceed in his ſuit, he thinks this makes a ſufficient recompence whereas, let a man in his journey have never ſo man… accommodations: as good way, fair weather, goo… chear, merry company; yet if he be caſt in h… ſuit, and loſeth all he hath, it will give him but littl… content to reflect upon the pleaſure of his journey Chryſoſtome, in one of his Homilies to the people o… Antioch, tells of himſelf; That he was invited t… dinner by a Gentleman, …e City, but not knowin… the way to his houſe, had a guide to conduct him the guide to gain the ſhorteſt way, carried hi… through By-lanes and Allies, where they met muc… dirt, and unſavoury ſmells, at laſt they croſſed a fa… ſtre…t, the goodlieſt ſtreet in the City, where the met with a man accompani…d with a great number … people, going to his execution; coming to the hou… whither he was invited, and finding there goo… Cheer, and hearty entertainment; How much bett… is it, (ſaid he,) to go through dirty lanes to good Chee… and good Company, than to go through the faireſt ſtree… to the place of Execution?
The Application is eaſie. Good men while they are in their journey, meet with any difficulties and diſcourteous uſages, but are going to a place of happineſs, and ſhall ſit down with Ahraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven; whereas wicked men, though they go through a fair, pleaſant way; where the Devil ſeems to pave their way for them, that they might not ſo much as daſh their foot againſt a ſtone, yet they are going to execution; having ſpent their days in mirth, in a moment they go down to Hell, where they muſt ſuffer the vengeance of Eternal fire; and if ſo, there is little reaſon why we ſhould either think much at the preſent ſufferings of the Saints: or envy the temporary proſperity of worldly men.
1. There is no reaſon why we ſhould think much at the Saints troubles: Auſtin moveth this queſtion: whether …t were better to eat a piece of fiſh, that were made bit…er by the breaking of the gall, or to endure the tormenting pain of the tooth-ach, or ſtone, or gout, ſeveral daies together, without any mitigation, or intermiſſion of the pain? This queſtion ſaith Drexelius may …eem a ridiculous queſtion, for how much better were …t (ſaith he) to eat ſuch a whole fiſh, which could do … man no other hurt, but leave a bitter tang upon the …alate for a time, than to ſuffer any of theſe torments, …ut the ſpace of one hour? all the troubles of this life, …re but like eating ſuch a piece of fiſh, which though …itter for the time, yet are ſoon over; and it is much …etter to endure this for a ſhort time; than to be expoſed to endleſs and eternal torments in Hell, therefore …he ſame Father beggs: Lord, cut me, burn me, do any …hing with me here, ſo thou ſpareſt me hereafter; And …lſe-where, Let all the Devils in Hell beſet me round; let …aſting macerate my body, let ſorrows oppreſs my mind; …et pains conſume my fleſh, let watchings ſpend me, and …eat burn me, and cold freeze and contract me; let all …heſe, and whatſoever can come more, happen to me, ſo as … may be freed from Hell, and may enjoy my Saviour in …ternal bleſſedneſs.
And 2. There is as little reaſon on the other hand, why we ſhould envy the proſperity of ungodly men: Suppoſe ſaith Chryſoſtome, that a man one night ſhould have … pleaſant Dream, that for the time might much deligh… him; and for the pleaſure of ſuch a dream, ſhould be tormented a thouſand years together, with exquiſite… torments; would any man deſire to have ſuch a dream upon ſuch conditions? All the contentments of this life are not ſo much to eternity, as a dream is to a thouſand years; and little is that mans condition to be envied who for theſe ſhort pleaſures of ſin muſt endure a… eternity of torment In the time of the wars in Germany, the Army be…ng upon ſpecial ſervice, orde… was given, that none ſhould upon pain of death, g… a forraging one ſouldier notwithſtanding this ſtric… Command, went abroad, and amongſt other thing ſtole ſome grapes, and brought them with him; bein… deprehended, he was adjudged to preſent death: a he went to execution, he fell to eating his Grapes: th… Commander asked, Sirrah, can you feed ſo heartily wh… you are to die preſently? the poor ſouldier replied: S… muſt I pay ſo dear for them, as the loſs of my life, and … you grudge that I ſhould eat them? do wicked m… purchaſe their preſent pleaſures at ſo dear a rate eternal torments; and do we envy their enjoyment them ſo ſhort a time? Would any envy a man going Execution, becauſe he ſaw him going up the Ladd… in a Scarlet Coat, or a Velvet ſuit? What thoug… wicked men be cloathed in Scarlet, and fare delicio… every day, this is all they are ever like to have: The… is ſcarce a more terrible Text in the whole Book … God, than that of Chriſt, concerning the Phariſe… Verily, I ſay unto you, they have their reward (s)Mat. 6.2. Luk. 6.24.; an… that parallel Text, Woe to you that are rich, for you h… received your conſolation.
Gregory, being advanced to places of great prefe… ment, profeſſed, that there was no Scripture went ſo …ear his heart, and ſtruck ſuch a trembling into his …pirit, as that ſpeech of Abraham to Dives, Son, re…ember, that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good …hings; *Luk. 16.25.they who have their Heaven here, are in …reat danger to miſs it hereafter: It is not Gods uſual …ay (ſaith Jerome) to remove from delights to delights, …o beſtow two Heavens, one here, another afterward.
Oh how much more worthy of our pity, than envy, … that mans condition, who hath all his happineſs con…n'd to the narrow compaſs of this life, but his miſery …xtended to the uttermoſt bounds of an everlaſting …uration.